What Liberty Village Looked Like in the 1990s Before the Condos

Today Liberty Village condos are the norm but years ago the neighborhood was better known for its industry and the employment opportunities that came with it. So much of Liberty Village has been re-developed but the region’s industrial past continues to be a predominant theme. There is much that can be said about what Liberty Village looked like prior to the condo boom of the 2000s. If you’ve recently moved to Liberty Village or are considering buying a condo in Liberty Village, this is an excellent place to get to know the heritage of the neighborhood a bit better.

The reason why Liberty Village was such an industrial place to begin with was primarily because of its railway access and because of the growing population in nearby areas such as Parkdale. Manufacturing companies dominated Liberty Village for a long time because of rail shipping and the advantages of the location.

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It was in the 1970s that manufacturing companies began to struggle as railway shipping began to be abandoned in favor of road shipping. In addition, as manufacturing companies continued to grow their operations, many sought larger factories – something that Liberty Village was not equipped to provide. Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, many of these manufacturing companies would shut down – some of these buildings still stand today such as the Toy Factory while others were demolished. The 1990s saw Liberty Village properties fall into neglect as its industrial reputation soon blew away with the wind.

AR Williams Factory

The same way that Liberty Village gained an industrial boom because of its location, its location would save it once again as a mix of residential, artistic, and business interests began to see the potential in re-developing Liberty Village in the late 1990s. Largely due to the fact that it is fifteen minutes away from the lake, a 20-minute streetcar ride from the financial district, and a 20-minute walk from the entertainment, fashion, and galleries of King Street West, Liberty Village found itself a new identity with a series of re-developments including high-rise and low-rise condos, office space, parks, and shops and restaurants.

What Liberty Village looked like before the post-1990s condo development period is an interesting exploration.

The railway tracks were such a dominating part of the neighborhood and it very much resembled what ‘old Toronto’ represented. For example, the Inglis factory was a major player in the manufacturing of various war materials throughout the first half of the 20th century.

The Central Prison and the Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women are two pieces of history that would give Liberty Village its name. ‘Liberty Street’ was the street that many prisoners would set upon after they had served their time, representing the sense of renewal, rejuvenation, and rehabilitation that Liberty Village still represents to this day. Though most of the prison was demolished in 1915 and the reformatory abandoned, demolished, and then having its land re-developed into Lamport Stadium in 1974, these two institutions are key to viewing the Liberty Village neighborhood.

Though so much of the neighborhood has been knocked down, many long-time tenants and key voices in the Toronto preservationist community have attempted to retain as much of the unique industrial character of Liberty Village as possible.

The next time you take a walk through Liberty Village, look out for the historical buildings seen in some of these pictures. Many of them still stand either as lofts or as restaurants, gyms, furniture stores, art galleries, and more.

What the future holds for Liberty Village remains to be seen but the neighborhood has gone through so many incarnations throughout its history that many see it as a fundamental piece of not only Toronto’s past but Toronto’s present. The current landscape of condo developments, high-end businesses, coffee shops and restaurants, gyms, and community events continue to attach the ‘Liberty Village’ moniker to something new. The rising property values have been beneficial to many and the commitments to continued re-developments is a guarantee that the Liberty Village of the 2020s is bound to look a lot different than the neighborhood of yesteryear.

As one of Toronto’s oldest settlements, Liberty Village is a different beast altogether today than what it was. For new members of the community, Liberty Village boasts a strong service industry, proximity to some of Toronto’s top arts and design firms, and access to so many opportunities. The growth that Liberty Village has experienced since 2004 has been astounding and is set to continue into the 2020s.

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It was a pleasure to deal with Michael Camber. Michael’s advertising strategy, including the advice of his staging team, attracted a great deal of interest. His judgment on pricing was excellent, significantly higher than other agents gave us and, as it turned out, entirely accurate, setting a record for the area. He obviously knows the Liberty Village market well. We sold above listing in under a week. We appreciated Michael’s attention to detail. When we had an issue with one of the sales agents who brought prospective buyers around, Michael dealt with the matter quickly. We felt that our property was in the best of hands. He also charged us a very competitive rate for his services. We would not hesitate to recommend Michael Camber’s services to anyone.read more

I called Michael because of the large amount of positive reviews on google. Immediately during our first call I knew I made the right decision. Michael is an expert Real Estate agent and his speciality in Toronto’s West End was clear. His advice helped us achieve great offers. My husband and I would highly recommend Michael to anyone we know or asking.read more

Sara was great and I firmly believe that we achieved one of the best deals possible in this market. She took the time to go back and forth with the other agent to make the offer as good as it could possibly get.
In addition, she demonstrated a high level of experience and up-to-date real estate knowledge by also protecting me from faulty clauses within the purchase agreement. She is not just an agent that wants to rush a deal through and get paid as soon as possible. I appreciate that and I am so very pleased with the end result. I look forward to working with her again.read more

Michael and his team were wonderful right from the beginning of our process to sell our liberty village townhouse through to closing. His professionalism and knowledge of the market helped us to develop a winning strategy. He went out of his way to assist us with the staging and condo prep as we were living out of town at the time. He was committed to getting us top dollar and at no point put any pressure on us. I would definitely recommend Michael and his team to friends in the future. If you are looking to sell your condo or townhouse, definitely call Michael. You won’t be disappointed!!!read more

Michael helped us sell our Liberty Village condo this past summer and he was a pleasure to work with! He is very professional and he knows the market extremely well. He delivers on what he promises and is very responsive and knowledgeable. He also provides great marketing materials that looked very impressive. I would not hesitate to work with him again!read more

From the moment we Michael, I wanted to use is team. My wife on the other hand wanted to meet other agents. After meeting a few other agents, she quickly realized that Michael was the right fit for us. We turned over the process to Michael and he bounced his ideas with us.
I’m still mesmerized with the staging of our home. With the home stages it was sold within days of being posted and over asking price.
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First impressions are lasting ones.read more

Michael has been my realtor since 2013. I originally hired him to find tenants for my rental property in Liberty Village and he educated me on the most important aspects of identifying prospective tenants. He is very knowledgeable regarding the condo market in Toronto and specifically Liberty Village.
I decided to list my condo this summer (2018) and because of my trust in Michael and his proven track record, I did not hesitate to sign with him and have him handle the sale of my property. Michael provided staging services and made the condo look like a million bucks.
He made the process smooth and worry free and had the property sold quickly and for top dollar.
I would not hesitate to recommend Michael to anyone that asks.read more

We recently sold our loft with Michael (April 2018), and it was an absolute pleasure to work with him. He is thoroughly knowledgeable about our neighbourhood (Liberty Village) and knew the market really well. Michael was professional and offered great advice throughout the entire process. From start to finish, we knew we hired the right agent! We highly recommend Michael and his team.read more

This is the email I sent to Michael and his team after we closed our condo in Liberty Village for well above our asking price and well beyond our initial expectations
“Thanks Michael.
Jessica and I are more than pleased with the choice to work with you. You were professional , understanding and most importantly a great negotiator on our behalf! We would recommend you to anyone who needs a true professional.
Thanks again”read more

Michael and his team were great!! Condo was sold - Everything was done professionally, by the time frame requested by me, for the price that I was looking for!! Highly recommend him, especially if you are selling in liberty village and downtown!read more

I listed my bachelor apartment with Michael located at Liberty village a couple of months ago. I had a fantastic experience dealing with a true professional. He staged the unit and it sold very fast. He keeps you informed throughout the whole process. I was happy with his service and recommended him.read more

Sara has an amazing team. I was in the market for an investment condo. Sara's knowledge of the market and relationships got me great options within 24 hours and we had an amazing deal done in 48.
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Sara helped my boyfriend and I find our first place together.
I let Sara know what our must-have's were and she knew exactly which buildings would suit our needs. Her expertise on each and every building in Liberty Village was quite impressive.
Sara was always there to answer any questions we had and checked in with us even after we moved in.
Working with Sara was unlike any other experience I've had with past realtors. She is knowledgeable, professional and very attentive. And truly a Liberty Village specialist. We couldn't be happier with her services!read more

Sara is amazing! The whole process was quick and easy. The advice was real just like you would get from a close friend or a family member which made my decision easier as there was a lot of trust. She even recommended a nice lawyer. The follow up was genuine and continued even after closing. It's been over a year since my purchase and I couldn't be happier with my decision.read more

Michael is true professional. He is the best guy for selling a condo Down Town Toronto especially Liberty village. I was in touch with him for more than a year to sell me condo in Liberty Village and always got right advice with no pressure selling of any kind. Being very experience real investor I tried selling the condo through other discount real estate agent but with no success or right offer. Once he took over I got $95K more than last best offer I got from other agent. Staging was super excellent and the way he presented my Condo on his local website was mind blowing. Thanks Michael....read more